What Does It Mean To Live in “The Calm Before the Storm?”
Have you ever wondered if Donald Trump has the unilateral authority to launch nuclear weapons on behalf of the U.S.? Do we live in a world without checks and balances that would prohibit this, or any other president, from making an impulsive decision that could quite literally end our civilization?
It’s not as if this is a question of academic importance only. We have a president who is threatening to “destroy” North Korea, meeting them and their deranged leader with “fire and fury the likes of which the world has never seen before.” Such an act that would almost certainly (in addition to killing most of the 25 million innocent people who happen to have the misfortune of living there) result in immeasurable damage to South Korea and Japan—and possibly to the U.S. itself.
Then we have our strange desire to provoke the Iranian government. Though Iran is clearly not in violation of the Obama-era agreement that the entire UN Security Council put into place without a single dissenting vote, the U.S. seems, for some reason, desperate to rescind it. This would very likely send Iran immediately back into a sprint to develop nuclear weapons.
Add in Syria.
On top of that, realize that we have a president who’s consistently shown how little regard for the truth he has, and who has repeatedly show himself to be incredibly impulsive, childish, and vindictive. Recall that on more than one occasion, he’s asked his military, “What’s the point of having nuclear weapons if we don’t use them?”
And just what is the state of Trump’s mental health? Of course, this isn’t hard science, but here’s an article that includes this terrifying passage:
A group of psychiatrists has written to Congress to warn (them that) Donald Trump poses a “clear and present danger” to the world. The group’s letter, sent to members of both parties, said: “It no longer takes a psychiatrist to recognise the alarming patterns of impulsive, reckless, and narcissistic behaviour — regardless of diagnosis — that, in the person of President Trump, put the world at risk….We now find ourselves in a clear and present danger, especially concerning North Korea and the President’s command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.”
Late last week we had this exchange between the president and a reporter:
Trump: (This is) the calm before the storm.
Reporter: What does that mean?
Trump: You’ll find out.
OK, so what is the answer to the main question here? Could Trump simply make a phone call that would precipitate nuclear conflagration?
I prefer not give it away, but to ask readers to check out this fascinating podcast, centered around a man now in his 80s, who, 50 years ago, was one of two people whose joint actions were required to carry out the order to launch nuclear weapons at the USSR in the Cold War if it were to come. Through his intense training, he came to understand and appreciate the rigor with which this process was designed, and how it was literally impossible for such an attack to happen by accident.
One day, he felt the need to ask his superiors if there was a similar “fail-safe” process in place at the other end, i.e., something that would prevent the U.S. president, either from a mental breakdown, a fit of rage, a bad reaction to a prescription drug, or anything else, from making a mistake that would send him and his colleague the order to launch a nuclear strike without proper reason.
What ensued was amazing, and very much worth your time.
Nuclear weapons are very dangerous, and we should try our best to resist them.
Wood Charcoal Machine,
“Try lying down with a brown paper bag over your head ” -Douglas Adams
Craig,
The podcast was surprisingly insightful and unbiased. It’s impossible not to feel sorry for the unfortunate military officer who was clearly psychologically unsuited to the position he held.
Without knowing all details of his record it’s impossible to pass judgement, but a better solution may have been to simply deploy, or transfer him to a non-nuclear unit.
President Trump may not sound or communicate in the same way as the carefully spin-doctored, politically correct, professional politician you associate with previous office holders, but he resonates with common Americans.
The President has spent his entire working life negotiating with labour bosses, construction contractors, teamsters, and all sorts from a wide variety of back grounds.
Often overlooked is his quite extraordinary record as a Wall Street investor-speculator.
Despite what most people believe, such a long and highly successful record reveals a personality capable of sustained astute judgement.
He must possess the capacity to quickly absorb, analyze and prioritize large amounts of information. More importantly, he must be capable of making disciplined, calculated judgements with fall back positions if circumstances change.
A person whose personality was dominated by ” impulsive, reckless, and narcissistic behaviour” wouldn’t last two weeks before crash and burn set in. But the President survived at least 25 years without a serious reverse.
The President of the US is answerable to the US people first. Maybe it could be argued a US President should consider and take into calculation the interests and concerns of strategic allies, but in reality, that’s all.
President Trump is under no obligation to forego US interests, solely to maintain bad decisions of previous Presidents.
When addressing to North Korea, the President is sending a clear message he believes North Korea is teetering on the brink. He’s also indicating the long game of brinkmanship played against previous administrations by North Korean regime so successfully, is over.
His message is also aimed at the Peoples Republic of China. The President’s enigmatic statements, provide room for Secretary of State Tillerson to maneuver while urging the PRC government to pressure North Korean leaders.
Appeasement never works. Paying off or yielding to school yard bullies never works. Only the fear of greater force, and willingness to use that force, works as a deterrent.
The President’s implied threats are made more effective by his refusal to discuss his methods or options.
Because of the awesome military power at his disposal, both nuclear and conventional, he doesn’t have to worry about proving if really has the capacity, the only question any enemy must worry about is does he have the determination and will to act ?
If the President were to undertake a preemptive military action in North Korea, it’s most unlikely nuclear weapons would be necessary. The US and South Korea could crush the North Korean regime with conventional weapons.
If, as you seem to be advocating, the President followed his predecessors policies of weak appeasement, North Korea will soon be armed with a nuclear arsenal capable of far greater destruction.
The President’s only hope for a peaceful resolution is to put such fear into the regime (and it’s ally the PRC) North Korea will be forced to suspend it’s nuclear program.
UN resolutions are meaningless to the North Korean regime (they don’t mean much to the PRC either).
The nature of nuclear warfare means there is no time for committees, debates, checks and balances. A US President must decide within minutes, not hours, weeks or months in a Nuclear war.
The system was designed as a deterrent against major powers with responsible governments, not crazed cult-like leaders of small rogue nations.
The world grew safer as a result of JFK’s willingness to thwart Russian aggression. If Chamberlain had been a little more like President Trump (and most of the media in 1938 condemned Churchill as “drunk”,” megalomaniac” , ” mentally unstable” “war monger” etc) at Munich, we might have been spared WW2 !
President Trump is not responsible for the Korean, crises ! The responsibility lies solely with Pyongyang.